Taking Care of Business
by SherwoodShippers
Summary: Future Fic: A/U!  When Frank and Denise unexpectedly show up at Jeremy's house, everyone has questions. In Chapter 5: Frank and Molly are reunited, Denise learns her son's secret, Molly learns her father's fate, mostly.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: A very different kind of AW story about family, love, marriage, and the need to have things right before going home. Reviews are appreciated.

Jeremy had just picked up their five kids from their various schools and day cares while Tanya was working yet another double shift at the hospital. It was bedlam with the girls bickering over a boy or something or other, his sons not obeying, and the baby just plain fussing. He had a headache by the time he got everyone home and sent them to do their homework.

He went and sat on the couch then heard a crash and his daughters screaming.

He got up and went to their joint room, "You are being stupid, just because the coach didn't work out with you is no reason to quit!" Fifteen year old Dakota shouted at her younger sister Lydia.

"He hasn't in over a month, I'm losing stamina," she snapped, her frustration in actuality having nothing to do with her coach or her workout schedules.

"What's going on in here?" Jeremy asked. "Come on straighten up."

"She's being a whiny brat as usual," Dakota replied with her trademarked eye roll.

"I am not!" Lydia argued back as their doorbell rang. Jeremy sighed; if this was another certified letter from a bill collector…It couldn't get any worse. He went to answer the door.

"I don't want to tell him, he doesn't need to know," Frank said standing next to his wife. "We'll just let things go."

"Mom, Dad?" Jeremy opened the door just as Frank finished speaking. He was astonished, his parents came to visit three or four times a year and always had it scheduled months in advance. This was very unusual for them.

"Too late," Denise whispered in Frank's ear. "Hi, honey," Denise smiled and hugged her son. "Where's my little one?"

"Everybody's in their rooms for now," Jeremy replied returning her hug and moving to let his parents inside.

Frank walked in shaking his hand, "Son, place looks a little crazy."

"It's always like this," he said just as his two daughters came into the room screaming at each other again.

Frank and Denise just looked at each other, "Lydia, Dakota, front and center!" Frank said angrily. "Right now!"

They did as they were told, both afraid not to obey when their grandfather raised his voice. It was a rare thing with them so when he did do it, they immediately paid attention.

"What's the problem here?" Frank asked with his eyebrows raised.

"She is a spoiled brat and I'm tired of her crap," Dakota said "She's a little princess and thinks the world revolves around her."

"And you think getting into a shouting match her is the way to go?" Frank asked. "Not acceptable, rooms, now!"

"You can't tell us what to do!" Both girls said shocking everyone, whereas Frank never yelled at them, they never talked back to him.

"Frank, honey, please," Denise spoke quietly. "Don't."

"I'm going out with Trey," Dakota said then under her breath Lydia mumbled. "Slut"

Jeremy spoke up, "No Grandma and Grandpa are here. Not going anywhere, go make up the bed in the blue room."

"I'm not staying here," Dakota said crossing her arms and sticking her hip out. She looked just like Denise when she did that.

Before anyone could react, JJ their oldest son, nearly 18, came out of his room, "I'm going to practice."

He had hair down to his waist. "Whoa, did you forget how to go to the barber?" Frank asked staring at his grandson.

"No, I like my hair this way," JJ replied. "We all have our hair long. I like it like this and it works for the band."

"You like your hair so long you can double as a broom?" Frank asked.

"As a matter of fact I do, old man." JJ, short for Jeremy Jr., was his own person. He was incredibly smart, talented, and probably the easiest kid Jeremy and Tanya had, even if he could mop the floor with his head.

Frank smiled and reached into his wallet, "Here, in case you decide to get a haircut." He handed him a $100 bill.

"Thanks," he said and put the money in his pocket and left

"Frank," Denise said quietly. "Honey, why don't we sit down."

He nodded and they both sat down. "If he's leaving so am I," Dakota piped up.

"He's got band practice," Jeremy intervened. "You are not going to neck with boys while Grandma and Grandpa drove here to visit us."

"You and mom, not us," she retorted even though she knew it wasn't so.

Denise started crying for seemingly no reason.

"Nice going sis," Lydia glared at her sister.

Frank held his wife for a minute, "Lyds, take Grandma to wherever we're sleeping."

She nodded and put her arm around Denise and led her to the guest room.

Frank stepped in with Dakota, "I think if you brought your friend here so we could meet him your dad would be okay with you going out tonight."

"Fine, he's met him though. He practically lives here."

Frank only nodded and Dakota went to her room. Frank looked at Jeremy, "Where's their mother?"

"Work," he said that with certain degree of contempt. He'd quit his job when Tanya wanted to go back to work after Teddy was born and hadn't been able to find another now that he was a little older and could go to daycare a few days a week.

"This is why mother's stay at home and father's go to work, it's chaos in here," Frank sighed. "Where's the baby?"

"Asleep," he replied.

"I'm going to check on your mother, when is Tanya not at work so we can talk?"

"She should be home in an hour or two," Jeremy told him.

Frank nodded, "I'm not sure your mother will be ready that soon. Besides I can see we have some work to do or didn't you notice Dakota looks like she's working a corner and Brian's pupils were the size of dimes."

"I've tried fixing Dakota, nothing works so I gave up," Jeremy explained. "And his eyes always look like that."

"So he's high all the time?" Frank was on the attack. He and Jeremy's relationship was strained on their best day.

"No, he doesn't do drugs," Jeremy said defensive.

"Yeah he does," Frank replied. "He does do drugs, I know he does drugs because...forget it."

"No, I won't forget it. What is it?" he asked, this visit was unsettling enough without cryptic comments left hanging.

"I did drugs when I was a kid too, Jeremy," Frank sighed. " Just a little older than he is now."

"You what?" Jeremy gasped wide eyed.

"I messed up as a kid too," Frank replied. "I just don't want to see pot turn into anything else and it will if you aren't on top of it. Mom and I will be here for a while so I'll help you." He did something he handed done in years just then; Frank reached out and hugged his son.

Jeremy smiled and hugged his father.

Lydia came out of the bedroom, "Grandpa?"

"Yeah, sweetie?" He pulled back to look at his favorite grandchild.

"I don't think Grandma is feeling well." The teen was biting her nails.

"Okay, I'm coming," he said and released Jeremy and went to check on Denise.

Frank went to the blue room and sat beside Denise on the bed, "Dee, baby, it's okay." He pulled her close to him, "You're scaring Lydia."

"Tell him Frank," she whispered into his chest. "Please."

"Not yet," he held her closer. "Not yet, there's too much going on. Dakota is working on a teen pregnancy, JJ don't get me started, Brian's on drugs, and Lydia is going to get lost in the shuffle. We have work to do."

"Okay," she nodded, she'd vowed to let him do this in his own way, but it was hard not being able to talk to anyone about it.

"I love you, and this is going to be okay," Frank said. "But where's the stuff we got so Brian doesn't get a hold of it. It's the only thing that's worked."

"My suitcase," Denise replied rubbing her cheek on his chest.

"Okay, you going to be okay?" he asked. "Be my brave girl?"

She smiled. "Always."

"I love you," Frank whispered. "And if there was a point in fighting this I'd fight it, but there isn't."

She nodded again. "I love you more."

"I'm going to lie down just for a little while, maybe try to see what's going on with Dakota you always had a way with her."

"Because she is a lot like Molly," Denise said wistfully. She missed her daughter but she had to stand with her husband.

"I'd rather not discuss Molly if you don't mind," Frank sighed as he laid down. "Just a few...minutes." He was asleep before he finished the word

Denise smiled and went to talk to Dakota

She was on her bed trying on make up when Denise came in. "You don't need all of that precious."

"Oh yes I do," Dakota replied defensively. She hated how she looked.

"Why?" Denise asked her. "You are so pretty."

"No I'm not," she scoffed a little. She was far from pretty.

"Oh yes we are," she brushed back her hair. "Look like Aunt Molly and she's beautiful, isn't she?"

"Yeah," she replied smiling.

"Who's this boy you want to impress?" Denise asked. "Is he special like your grandpa?"

"Nobody," she said blushing slightly.

Denise laughed, "If you let Grandpa meet him, I'm sure he'll talk your Dad into it. And what was that before that grandpa can't tell you what to do? You know I don't like that."

She shrugged her shoulders but stayed silent.

Denise knew that meant she felt badly enough about it so she just gave her a hug. "Why don't you call your friend and I promise I'll make Grandpa be nice?"

She smiled. "Thanks Gram," she said.

"And, don't wear red lipstick, makes you look too old," Denise said as she left the room to find her son. She wanted Frank to tell him the truth, she needed to lean on her children now and soon, she'd need their help as well.

He was sitting in the kitchen holding the baby who was screaming.

Denise joined him at the table, "Sun's in his eyes," she told Jeremy and pulled down the shade. "Looks like my baby is a little unhappy too."

"I'm fine, Mom," he lied and put on a fake smile.

"Your father's napping," Denise felt if she led Jeremy there she'd not betray her husband's wishes.

He nodded.

"I'm pregnant," Denise threw in to see if he was listening.

"You what!" he nearly shouted.

Denise smiled, "So you are listening to me. You seem so far away, Jeremy. I know we just sprung this on you, sweetheart."

"It's fine, Mom, really. I'm glad you're here," he said with a smile to reassure her.

"Your Dad is worried about the kids," Denise sighed. "I'm worried about you. What's going on?"

"Nothing, everything's fine," he said.

Denise only nodded, "Us too. May I have my grandson please?" She loved the babies, all of them but the new ones she never had enough of snuggling them.

He smiled. "Sure." He gave her the baby.

Denise cuddled the baby then saw their 13 year old grandson Brian come out of his room. "Going out Dad," he told Jeremy. "Meeting Ted and Rick."

Jeremy nodded and the boy left the house.

Denise just looked at him. "He had two rolls of toilet paper shoved in that backpack."

"Did he?" he asked, he didn't even notice.

Denise nodded, "Yes he did."

Jeremy sighed and tried to go after his son but he was already gone

"Looks like this visit came right in the nick of time," Denise smiled. "You need a break, son. Are you working right now?"

"Not right now no." He knew his parents hadn't like the decision he and Tanya made about his working but that was just the way it was.

"Anything in the works, any projects, because if nothing is pressing, dad and I might hire you."

"Doing what?" he asked

"Designing us a new house of course," Denise looked at him like he had two heads. "We're thinking of moving closer to you and Tanya."

He smiled his first genuine smile for the first time since they arrived. "Sounds good."

"We'll talk about it later for now, why don't you go do something before you and Dad get into a fight?" Denise suggested.

"What?" he asked.

"Go do something before Dad wakes up and you two fight, you always fight when you're both grumpy and tired, I'll fix some dinner and watch the kids."

He chuckled but nodded, he needed out of the house.

Denise let him go fed the baby and checked on Lydia and Dakota. "When's your friend coming?" she asked the older girl. "Your dad went out."

"He's on his way," she said from her post in front of her mirror primping.

"I'll go wake up grandpa," she told her and went to get Frank up. He already was though and met her in the hall. "Dakota's young man is on his way. I told her if he met you we'd let her go out for a bit. Jeremy's taking some sanity time."

He sighed "Let's hope he isn't a punk," he said

"You okay?' She slipped her arms around him and held him tighter. "Tell me okay, tell me."

"I'm fine sweetheart," he said and kissed her forehead.

She fought tears, "No, you're not and I am not ready for this."

He saw the tears and held her tighter. "I can't handle this Frank."

"Yes you can," he assured her. "You are the strongest person I know. You can. I know I have the easy part, I know that, but you can do this, Baby. All right?" He had more faith in her than she had in herself. He always had.

"No, I can't," she said and started to cry.

Dakota popped out of her room and saw them, "He's here," she said looking at her grandparents. "Gram?" Denise did not cry, Dakota couldn't ever remember seeing her Gram cry now she'd done it twice in one day.

"She's fine, go on and let him in. We'll be there in a minute," Frank said.

"She doesn't cry, Grandpa," Dakota insisted. "I'll stay home I promise." She didn't understand her grandmother's tears.

"I'm fine sweetie, just having a rough day." Denise excused it and hoped Dakota was still enough of a child that she believed it.

Dakota went to let Trey in, she wasn't surprised that he'd gone and gotten a bouquet for her grandmother but it did surprise Frank.

"Hey," Dakota said smiling.

"Hello, so grandparents huh?" he asked. "I'm moving up." He gave her a big kiss. "Are they all old and deaf and stuff?"

"No!"she said laughing "They are worse than my Dad, so be afraid."

Frank appeared then without Denise and just stood there like a solid wall, intimidating, unyielding, staring this foe down.

"This is my Grandpa," she said politely introducing Frank.

Frank nodded once. "You are?"

"Trey," he replied.

"Nice to meet you," Frank sat down. "I'm not much on flowers."

He nodded. "You too, these are for her Grandma." He was nervous.

"My wife is with the baby," Frank replied. "Dakota bring those to grandma, will you please?"

"Sure," he said and left the men to talk.

"How old are you?" Frank felt like he had to pull words from this kid's mouth.

"17." He was brisk and polite, not offering anything more than what was asked.

"You drive?"

"Yes sir," he replied.

"And you're interested in my sixteen year old granddaughter why? I'm sure plenty of girls your age would like to date you," Frank was turning up the heat. This kid was too polite.

"Because I like her," he said. "She isn't like girls my age"

"She's innocent; she doesn't ask questions, is that it?" Frank turned it up a little more. "Why did you buy flowers for my wife? I was 17 once, I know how broke kids your age are. I know how broke my grandchildren are."

"I wanted to make a good first impression," he replied.

Frank sighed. "Thanks for your time tonight." He stood up and turned to leave, effectively dismissing the boy.

"So?"Dakota said when she saw her grandfather

"No," he said firmly. "I'd have preferred you bring home punk with purple hair and incorrectly spelled tattoos than that boy. "No. He's trouble, he's shifty, and he's dishonest. No."

"No he isn't," she said defensively.

Frank didn't want to fight her, "You can see him here, leave the doors open, I'll even pay for you to order in anything you want to eat, but that's it."

She sighed and rolled her eyes "Fine."

Frank heard her telling Trey the rules and he loudly replied, "He's really nice, I think it's fair." Frank just looked at his wife.

"I like that kid," Denise told him. "It was sweet what he did."

"He wants a quick score, when I was in school and it's the same thing now, the older senior boys get points for deflowering younger girls," Frank sighed. "He's good looking, got a car, why date an average looking 15 year old with no figure, no anything to speak of? She's a very sweet but vanilla girl, why?"

"Frank, she is built to kill and he is lucky to have her," she said. "Don't make a big deal out of this."

"She's flat as a board, Dee!" Frank replied. "She's got a shape, but she's not her grandmother's granddaughter if you know what I mean."

"Frank!" She was shocked and turned a little red.

"It's the truth," Frank replied. "I don't like him, I don't feel right about this."

"She'll be fine, relax," she said, laughing.

"He laughed, "I love you so much. There's trouble here."

"Frank, you be nice," she warned.

"I am being nice," he sighed. "Baby, where's my stuff I'm going to step outside." He hated painkillers and the ones he'd had didn't do anything for him.

"In my suitcase," she replied. "I love you to by the way"

"I love you too," Frank sighed. "You know the ironic thing about this?"

"What?" she asked still not releasing him..

"I'm smoking to relieve the symptoms of the disease I got from smoking," he chuckled. "Not smoking the same thing but...It's actually funny."

"Yeah." She put on a fake smile and held him tight. She didn't find any of this the least bit funny.

"I'm not ready to tell the kids, Dee," he sighed. "I thought so but there's too much going on." Just as he said that Brian appeared, "Grandpa, Dakota just left with Trey."

"Damn it!"He swore and tried to get out the door but Denise wouldn't let him go. "Let her go," she said.

"He's going to use her and hurt her Dee, I know it," Frank sighed. "I know it in my gut."

"No he won't," she soothed. "Don't go getting yourself all upset, you'll hurt."

Frank sighed, "Dee, please let go, I need to..."

She nodded and let him go, again on the verge of tears but held them back. This was not the way she pictured this part of her life, she didn't want this, she didn't want to be estranged from her daughter, she didn't want to be her husband's nurse, she just wanted…she didn't know what she wanted, just not this…Not this.

Frank went out back and half an hour later he was back inside and looked like he felt better. Denise wished he'd take the pain killers but he refused. She was about to ask him what he wanted for dinner when Tanya came inside. "Jeremy! The damn neighbors parked in the driveway again!"

Denise laughed "He went out for a bit."

"Denise?" Tanya was shocked. "That man! He didn't even tell me you were coming or clean up or..."

"He didn't know, we popped in as a surprise," she comforted. Tanya was always wound so tight, she always seemed to be trying to impress them even after 25 years.

Tanya nodded, "Who's in trouble?"

"Nobody," she chuckled.

She smiled again and went to hug her in-laws. "Good to see you, where are my kids?"

"In their rooms except for Dakota, she is with a friend," she fibbed not wanting to put anymore on the overloaded mother. She and Jeremy had a short courtship and long engagement, then another period before they started having their children. Jeremy Jonathan, JJ, was now 18, Dakota Renne 16, Lydia Michelle, a new 15, Brian Anthony, 13 and finally Theodore James, 19 months. In 25 years of marriage, Denise and Frank still swore Tanya was at least a little afraid they disapproved even after everything they'd done.

"And JJ is at band practice," Frank added.

"Okay." Tanya nodded and put her things down before visiting a few minutes and going to bed.

Jeremy stayed out the rest of the night, Dakota was home by ten and had a few clearly displayed "Love bites" on her neck. JJ was the only one still out when both sets of Sherwoods went to bed. Tanya was upset, "Why are they here? What did you tell them?"

"Nothing honey, they just came to visit," he told her.

"They don't just appear like that for no reason," she reminded him. "You and your dad are like oil and water."

"I know," he said. "Just try and relax. I can't figure Dad out, I've never been able to figure him out, he's got his reasons. Relax."

"I can't until I know why they are here," Tanya sighed.

"Calm down," Jeremy sighed, this was getting old.

"I can't, not with them here just visiting for now reason, your father doesn't do anything off a schedule," Tanya was working herself into a panic.

"Okay, if you must know I think my Mom is sick," Jeremy sighed. "Dad's holding her alot and Lydia and Dakota said she was crying and Lyd came to get Dad before cause Mom didn't feel well."

"Oh," she sighed. "Then I hope they are just visiting."

"And if they're here to tell us in person I'm guessing it's like a serious illness type of thing."

She sighed. "Let's hope not."

"I'm going to press dad when I get him alone," Jeremy replied. "I just hope she's not going to die. Not with all this other stuff."

She nodded and slid her arms around him. "Don't worry," she whispered. "It'll be okay."

"Does she look different to you?" He loved that she was holding him, things were so bad between them they rarely held each other.

"No, not really," she said thinking to the few minutes she saw her in-laws tonight.

"I'm being stupid right?" he asked. "They'd tell us, wouldn't they?"

"I don't know, I hope they would; especially if it was serious. "She laid on his shoulder, she rarely ever did that.

"I'll talk to Dad" Jeremy sighed. "They want to move closer to us, Mom asked me to design the house, maybe that's all, huh?"

"Yeah." She kissed his cheek and rolled over, "Try to get some sleep."

He nodded and laid down and closed his eyes.

Frank was tossing around in bed, "Something not right Dee. A lot of somethings."

"Frank honey, calm down," she said ."Nothing's wrong"

"Yeah, baby," he sighed. "Brian is thirteen and I will bet my life he's smoking pot. Dakota and that boy, he is trouble. I'm not sure what's up with Lydia but I bet there's something, Jeremy and Tanya, cut that tension with a knife, the only normal one is JJ and he's not going to be allow at my funeral with that hair."

"He is your grandson!" She was shocked he'd think such a thing never mind saying it.

"It's disrespectful!" He got out of bed and starting pacing. "This entire family is going to Hell in a hand basket. I've got to fix it."

Denise sighed and got up. "Not tonight you don't. Please calm down and lay back down, please"

"I can't calm down, baby, this is a mess and I have to fix it," he said again. "It has to be fixed, Dee."

"Okay we will fix it but not right now," she said and used what she knew would work. "I'm tired and I want to go to sleep and you hold me."

He nodded, "Okay. Okay, let's go to bed."

"Thank you," she said and lay back down.

He lay behind her and held her, "We'll fix it soon?"

"Yeah," she whispered. "We will."

He rubbed her arms and hair until he felt her fall asleep, he never achieved sleep that evening.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks to those who read and commented on the first chapter and thanks to Jan for the beta. Hats off to you! **

**A side note, we understand this is an A/U story and that is does have many new characters in it, further, we understand that not everyone will like this type of piece, we go into writing any of our pieces knowing they will not be embraced by all. Additionally, as we are a TEAM, we do not write anything into a story we have not agreed on and the method is such that each of us have total veto power over the other and no one part of the team has more influence than another, we've taken time to perfect that system and feel that we have done so. **

**Thank you all again for your interest in this and all of our pieces.**

**SherwoodShippers.**

A week later Jeremy still didn't know why his parents were there but as events unfolded he was glad to have their help. He watched his mother for anything that might indicate she was sick and he did see some things that sort of worried him, but mainly he was preoccupied with Dakota's constant tantrums.

Trey hadn't called her since the night she'd run off with him and she was not happy to say the least. She was home from school pouting one day; Denise was going to try to talk to her when the phone rang. Jeremy had been on a job interview leaving only Frank and Denise at home. He got the phone.

"Hello," he answered.

"Mr. Sherwood, please. This is Lydia's history teacher, Mrs. Miceli," the pleasant voice replied. "May I speak to either Jeremy or Tanya?"

"They aren't home right now, this is Lydia's grandfather," he said.

"Oh wonderful, she didn't return her report card or her latest test paper that I requested she have signed and brought back to me," Mrs. Miceli told him. "Here grades are failing terribly, this was her midterm, and she only earned a D."

Frank was shocked; she seemed to be a very bright girl. "Okay, I'll let her parents know."

"Thank you," the teacher replied and hung up. Frank was going to handle this now. He took a breath and knocked on his granddaughter's door.

"Come in," she said; he walked in and saw her sitting on her bed with her laptop.

"Dakota," he nodded his head to excuse her. "Help Grandma please."

"Sure," she said and went to help Denise.

Frank sat beside his granddaughter, "Do you have your report card and your midterm for history?"

"No, why?" she asked.

"Your teacher called and you were supposed to have them signed, now please locate them and show them to me," he used a softer tone but she knew he was upset with her.

"I don't have them," she responded quietly.

"I already know what they say, baby doll," he replied. "Please let me see them."

"I burned them." She studied her lap, her hand, her shoes, anything to avoid looking at her grandfather.

"I beg your pardon," he replied.

"I burned them," she said again.

"I heard you, I just don't understand why you'd do that," Frank replied. "You are a smart girl, baby, what's going on?"

"Nothing," she said.

"Why are you failing?" he asked. "Do you want me to help you?"

"No, it's fine, I'll do better," she promised.

"You'll need to tell you father," Frank told her. "And I'm going to suggest that you stay home until that grade goes up."

"What!"She practically shouted "No!"

"Then tell me what's going on, stop lying to me," he pressed.

"I just don't want to do the work." She didn't want to tell him she was failing on purpose to have a boy she liked tutor her.

"Well there's a lot of things you don't want to do in life, and if you don't want me to tell your dad you need an indefinite grounding, so you rethink those answers and see me before he gets home." He stood up and turned to leave.

"It's about a boy," she said before he was even to the door.

"Now we're getting somewhere," Frank smiled and sat back down. "You want him to like you so you're dumbing it down, is that it?"

"Yeah," she muttered; now she was embarrassed at how stupid she'd been. She was the smart one, Dakota was the pretty one, they all said so, even her mother.

"Let me ask you a question, why do you think I married Gram?"

She shrugged, "I don't know."

"She's not only beautiful, but she's the most intelligent woman I've ever met and we've been married for 50 years, you don't get that when you attract someone pretending to be someone you aren't. That's lying, and if you start a relationship, and those are about trust, based on a lie, it's like building a house on sand."

She sighed "I am so stupid." She looked like she wanted to cry, she never wanted to disappoint her grandpa.

He gave her a hug, "No, you're a child, baby doll. How do you learn things in life, trial and error, that's all. Now, because you were honest and if you're honest with your Dad, I'll do what I can to make it go easier on you."

She sighed, "I'm dead." She seemed to be a little more afraid of telling her father than Frank was comfortable with but Lydia did have a flare for the dramatic so he filed it away and let it slide.

He shook his head, "No...You're not. I'll fix it. I love you, Lyds. I don't tell you that enough."

She smiled and hugged him tight. "I love you too, Grandpa."

He got up and passed Denise who was rocking a sobbing Dakota in her arms as she sat with her on the sofa.

He went into the room. "What happened?"

Denise shook her head then looked at him and mouthed, "You're right."

He was confused for a moment but quickly realized what she was talking about.

He nodded and left Denise to handle Dakota, he'd never really connected with her like he had with Lydia. He loved her and he tried, but it didn't quite click. He went into the bedroom and got his supply from under the bed and went outside. It was getting worse, he knew it, but he couldn't tell Denise.

Jeremy came home when his father was about to go outside. "Hey Dad."

"Jeremy," he greeted his son. "How did the interview go?"

"Good, I think," he said quickly; he didn't seem to want to talk about it.

"Great," Frank replied. "You don't seem to be very excited. We need to talk. You've been trying to corner me for a week, so let's go get a beer."

He nodded. "Okay, let's go." This was finally his chance to find out what was going on with his mother, he didn't want to know but he had to know, the suspense was weighing on him even more than the fate of his failing marriage.

They went to a local pub and Frank ordered two beers and they sat. "What's wrong with Mom?" Jeremy asked quickly.

"Nothing, why?" Frank asked, puzzled that Jeremy would think that. Had they done or said anything to lead him to think something was wrong with Denise?

"You guys show up for no reason, you are attached at the hip, she's cried 30 times that I've seen, she's not sleeping...She's sick, I know she's sick, just tell me..."

"No son, she isn't sick. I promise you," Frank said firmly so his son would not long fear for his mother. "We do have our reasons and they are our reasons. The reason we came and the reason we're staying are not one and the same; however, I know things are pretty crazy and I know you won't ask for my help so…"

"But you'll give it any way and it's great about Mom, I was so worried she was sick," Jeremy looked so relieved. "Can I ask you something else?"

"Fire away" he replied taking a sip of his beer, Jeremy had already drained his.

"What was your first clue that something wasn't right between you and Mom?" Jeremy asked. "When did you feel like stuff was going wrong?"

"When she stopped coming to me when she was upset or hurt or whatever, she always did that, always wanted me there then one day she didn't, wanted me nowhere around then it got worse from there," he recounted for his son. He knew things were bad, but that bad…Oh boy…

"Was that before or after the sex stopped?"' he asked bluntly. "I mean I know your guys don't now but..."

Frank laughed, "Not now now in the house with the kids in the next room no, but…" He raised an eyebrow, "Why am I shocked you acted like your sister came from the stork. To answer your question though it was after," Frank replied very quickly. "That broke down and so did everything else."

"Crap," Jeremy sighed. "That stopped already. Once in two years gave us Teddy and that was it. What about you, did you go through a point where you didn't want Mom?"

"Nope," he replied. "Never, not even during the divorce and the mediator, I wanted her, I loved her and I was the one who asked for the divorce so I knew I had to be the one to stop it and I did and that gave us a lot more time together, and I'd do it all again."

"I'm going through this thing now Dad, I don't care that Tanya doesn't want me, in fact...I've been lying..."Jeremy confessed.

"Lying?" Frank asked one eyebrow disappearing into his hair line.

"These aren't interviews," he confessed. "They're lunch dates."

"What?" Frank was shocked and angry.

Jeremy nodded, "They're lunch dates with Emmalin."

"That isn't right Jeremy!" Frank scolded, trying to keep his voice down. "You're cheating on Tanya and don't give me any garbage about not having sex with her, you mother pointed out to me in no uncertain terms that women take any sort of association with another female very seriously, three nights on Michael's couch when she found out about Major Davis and it was 20 years later!"

"I'm not cheating, Dad, I'm not kissing her or touching her or anything like that, we're just meeting and talking and laughing...I haven't laughed..." He saw his father's face contort slightly. "Dad?"

"I'm fine," Frank said trying to shake it off and just breathe deeply. He hated that the pain and breathlessness were getting more intense. "Man I'm getting old, can't rant like I used to."

"You're not fine Dad," Jeremy got up, his father's face was pale and his chest was heaving. "You can't breathe, can you? Does your chest hurt?" He was nervous, what if he'd upset his father so much that he'd given him a heart attack. His mother would never forgive him.

"I'm fine son," he assured him and reached out to squeeze his hand to show him he had strength.

"No, you aren't," Jeremy pushed again. "Let's go home then, okay? Is it all the stuff with the kids and the marriage, too much stress?" Frank shook his head, Jeremy was getting to close and he was having a hard time hiding the pain.

"No, I'm fine," Frank said again as if insisting made it so.

"Let's just go home," Jeremy let it go for now, he didn't want to upset him further; his mom would take care of this. Still by the time they got to the car Frank was wheezing and in a lot of pain, so much so that he couldn't help but make little cries that he fought with all of his strength to hide.

"Okay, that's it, you're going to the hospital."

Jeremy sped to the nearest hospital and went inside, he told them the symptoms and a nurse and doctor came out. Frank refused to allow Jeremy back with him, so he was left to pace and face his mother alone. He dialed the house.

"Hello," Dakota answered hoping it would be a boy for her or even her sister, life was getting sooo boring.

"Hey, sweetie, let me talk to Gram, okay?" Jeremy said. He was trying to hide the fear from his daughter, he actually thought he might have just had the last conversation he'd ever have with his dad. He'd never seen him look like that.

"She's getting the baby to sleep," Dakota replied. "What's wrong?" She was too intuitive for him, she might be boy crazy but she had a good heart.

"Grandpa doesn't feel well," Jeremy told her trying to dumb it down. "I need to talk to Gram right now."

"What's wrong with him?" Lydia asked, she'd picked up the phone in their room in case it was Trey calling to harass her sister again. Dakota ticked her off but she was still her sister.

"He doesn't feel well honey," Jeremy said again. "Please get Gram now."

Both girls screamed for Denise "Hello," she said nearly panicked already at her grandchildren's tone.

"Hang up girls!" Jeremy ordered. "Mom make sure."

"Okay, they're off but standing here in front of me," she said, she didn't like this feeling.

"Dad's at the hospital, St. Mark's," Jeremy told her. "He looks awful, he couldn't breathe and he had pain in his chest. He was spacing on me by the time I got him here. I think it's his heart."

"I can't leave," Denise fussed. "I can't leave all the kids here alone."

"Well if he's had a heart attack or something you kind of have to," Jeremy sighed. "Call JJ and tell him the whole story, he's responsible, he'll come home."

"Okay," Denise hung up the phone and immediately called her grandson. He promised he'd be home in twenty minutes. He made it in nineteen.

While Jeremy waited on his mother, he called Emmalin. He was in tears when she picked up; he really felt he was going to lose his father.

"Hello." Emmalin had just divorced her husband of 18 years and had recently reconnected with Jeremy. They were old friends and she'd been heartbroken when he chose to marry Tanya, and now in this time of crisis he wanted something familiar.

"Emmi?" he sniffled. "Em, it's Jeremy."

"Jeremy, what's wrong?" She asked immediately concerned.

"My dad," he sighed "He's sick, I think he had a heart attack or something and I've never seen him so sick, Emmi. Mom's coming and I'm scared. I'm really scared..."

"I'm on my way, what hospital?" she asked, after all, what were friends for?

"St. Mark's downtown," he replied just as he heard his wife being paged to the ER. It didn't register.

Tanya went into her father-in-law's cubicle, "Oh my God," she gasped. "Frank? Frank!" This man was in pain and not from a heart attack; any doctor or nurse would know that.

She checked him over and what she discovered shocked her, she'd never have guessed by looking at him at home, but now…

"Frank, can you hear me?" Tanya asked him. "What medication do you take for the pain?"

"Nothing, I smoke," he said breathing hard.

"Medical..." she raised an eyebrow. " Did you miss, is that what happened?"

"Yeah," he replied, still wheezing and gasping for adequate air. "Don't tell Jeremy."

"I can't it's privileged." She looked at her nurse, "Start a second IV, go with full flow oxygen by mask for now, and get a full body PET, let's see what's what. Let's push 15 of morphine now and drip at 10 an hour."

The nurse nodded and went to get the morphine and oxygen to help her patient.

Tanya held her father-in-law's hand, "I know you want Denise, I bet she's coming, okay? Just rest, the morphine will help. That's why you came? To tell him in person?"

Frank only nodded; it was too hard to keep trying to talk.

"Okay, I'll go see Jeremy and tell him you're resting. I won't say anything else. Want Denise back?" She was fighting back tears, she knew it, she felt it but she'd hoped she was wrong.

"She isn't out there, she doesn't know I'm here," Frank sighed. "Out for beers with Jeremy."

"Is Jeremy out there? I'll get him to sit with you, I'll tell him it was muscular," Tanya soothed. "Close your eyes and I'll get him."

"No," he almost begged. "Don't."

"Yeah," Tanya nodded. "You're in pain and I can't stay. I'm going to call Denise but let him sit with you. All right? I won't tell him anything, I won't even write the diagnosis on the chart, I promise. If he can't come back, he's going to ask questions."

"Tell him I'm resting and don't call Denise," Frank ordered. "She gets upset so much as it is, she's…"

"Frank, please, let him see you, I'll make it five minutes, but...do you remember four years ago when Jeremy and Denise were shopping and she fainted in the parking lot? You were so angry that he wasn't with her...and he was so upset...This is hard, I know, but let him be the man you raised him to be."

"Fine, five minutes." He relented but only because arguing was futile and just too tiring.

She smiled and laid his hand on his stomach. She told the nurse, "This patient is nondisclosure; no one gets information unless it comes from me and no one but his wife may ask. Got it?"

She nodded. "Got it." Dr. Sherwood was pretty reasonable most of the time about letting nurses disclose information to family member so when she said no, it meant no.

Tanya went out to get Jeremy, she couldn't believe Frank had cancer and she had to hide it from her husband, his son, she walked to the waiting room and saw him, only he wasn't alone, he was with Emmalin Holden, locked in her arms.

She took a deep breath, bit her lip and walked out toward her husband. "Jeremy," she said barely able to keep the tears from her eyes.

He pulled back from Emmalin and saw her, he could tell she was upset but right now he couldn't let himself care.

"If you'd like to see him I can give you five minutes," she said very businesslike. "Did you call your mother?"

"Yeah, she's coming," he replied and pulled back from Emmalin.

Tanya nodded, "He requested that she not be contacted but I knew you'd have made the call already. Do not upset him and do not spent one second longer than five minutes in there unless he specifically requests it. Do you understand?"

"He's my father Tanya, don't tell me how long to be with him," he snapped and went back to see Frank.

"Jeremy!" the edge in her voice made him stop. "He's my patient and his wishes override anything else as long as that remains the case. He didn't want to see anyone at all; I pushed it, and can and will undo it just as quickly if you go over that time limit."

He glared at her as he rushed to see his father.

Tanya turned to Emmalin, "He's not dying, we don't need a Fort Marshal reunion here."

"Look I didn't come here on my own, Jeremy called and asked me to come," she defended. It had been Emmalin's dream that eventually she and Jeremy would marry, their parents had been best friends for years, but Tanya had stopped all of that when Jeremy met her in Iraq. They were married quickly, without time for Emmalin to speak up and tell her friend she wanted something more.

"That's fine, but let me tell you something, you have no idea what they are facing, they don't even know, this is a family time, not time for outsiders and...people with regrets," Tanya was vicious when fighting for what was hers.

"Regrets?" Emmalin asked backing up a little.

"Yes," Tanya stood up straighter. "You know he only married me because you didn't speak up, I've known it all along. As far as I'm concerned once this is over, I'll step aside and you can have the kids, the house and the unemployed architect for all I care but I will not put Frank and Denise through the Hell of a divorce while they are facing such an uphill battle."

"I don't want your life Tanya, and just for the record I think it's a pretty shitty thing to say you'd leave your kids." For some unknown reason Emmalin didn't have any children, she'd never clarified for anyone that Tanya knew of any way why that was the case.

"I'm not the kind of wife or mother any of them need, I know that, I'd be doing them a favor really," Tanya wiped her eyes. "But those two people are more family to me than anyone else. Frank held my hand when I had JJ, Dakota, and Lydia and Denise was right next to him. I don't want to make anything harder on them than it has to be."

Emmalin didn't have a chance to reply before Denise came rushing into the hospital "Tanya!"she exclaimed.

"Denise, calm down, he'll be okay," she could see how upset her mother- in-law was already. "He'll be okay."

"Where is he?" she asked. "Where's Jeremy?"

"Jeremy's sitting with him, he's in a cubicle here in ER, but we need to talk first okay?" She took her mother-in-law's hand. "Excuse us; as I said, this is a family matter." She led Denise away leaving Emmalin standing there.

"It spread, didn't it?" Denise sighed, she knew it was happening. The cancer had already spread from the lungs to the bones and other organs, she knew he was dying but she just wanted someone to come along and stop it.

"Not sure yet, I'm waiting on his old records but...the exam indicates a very advanced disease, there are surgeries we can try to remove some of the disease, it may buy him time, it might help the pain but, he's not going to be able to keep it a secret anymore. This will continue and soon the pain will escalate to the point where the medical marijuana won't work, it has limits, he'll need more advanced pain management. Lungs, bones, pancreas, right?"

"Yeah and he won't take anything else, he says if it kills him it kills him," she said.

"It already has, the treatments I mentioned are only for symptoms management, he won't see Christmas, I doubt Thanksgiving," Tanya was trying not to cry. "I think you need to call Molly, he's stubborn but all the studies show that if there is unresolved conflict like that the death process itself is much harder on everyone."

"He won't have anything to do with her," Denise insisted.

"Call her," Tanya said again. "Let's go see him. I have him on a morphine drip for now, I'll ask Carol Jansen, she's the hospice coordinator to come and talk to you about the program. He can be at home but they can help. I'll be there every minute I can, I promise. I can't tell Jeremy, Denise. But he has the right to know his father is going to die."

Tanya let her go back to her husband and her son. Denise was nearly knocked over by her son flying into her arms. He held her so tight, "We're going to beat it Mom. We are, I'm going to help you, me and Dad, we'll help you, the kids too. You'll be okay again."

"Jeremy what on earth are you talking about? I'm not sick!" Denise was confused for a moment then her brain started whirling, he didn't, did he?

"Dad told me everything," Jeremy pulled back. "He said you wanted to protect us but it's making him sick Mom and...You can admit it, it's okay."

"What did he tell you?"she asked, if he'd lied about this…She'd forgive him, she always forgave him.

"He told me they found cancer and it's too far gone and you didn't want any treatment and you came here to tell me but things were crazy so you didn't," Jeremy replied. "It's okay Mom. It is, I'm not angry at you."

"Jeremy, I'm not the one…" She looked at Frank and sighed, he'd been too frightened or too something to tell their son the truth. He was half drugged shaking his head, she sighed, "Go talk to your wife, I need to have a word with Dad."

He nodded his head and left his parents alone to talk.

Denise went to her husband's side, "How do you feel?" she asked softly. She'd been so angry just a moment ago but seeing in a hospital bed with oxygen and IVs made it all melt away.

"Tired." He was slurring his speech and trying to keep his eyes opened.

"That's the morphine." She took his hand and held it, his skin was dry, he'd been having that problem now more than ever before that she could recollect, she didn't remember that being a sign of impending death but it seemed the sicker he got the drier his skin became.

"Don't want that," he wiggled his hand to get the IV free. "Don't want to be drugged."

"Frank, you have to have it otherwise you'll hurt. " She deliberately went to the other side of the bed and held the hand with the IV in it so he couldn't try to get it out. "I can't believe you told him I was the one with cancer, why did you do that?"

"I don't want him to...I need to do this in my own way, I told her I didn't want to see him, I...It's not the right time," he was trying to sound firm and strong.

"We have to sooner or later, he deserves to know...and so does Molly." Denise never wanted to bring Molly's name up to Frank. They hadn't spoken in nearly five years, and Denise knew that it caused her husband a tremendous amount of pain to even think of their daughter but she wanted this to go as easily as it could for him and Tanya was right - unless he saw or at least tried to see his daughter before he died, he'd never be able to rest in peace. And, nor would she.

She'd heard from Molly a few times each year, she'd send pictures of her daughter, a little girl called Brooklyn, but Denise was loyal to her husband's wishes; she did not seek out contact from Molly though there wasn't a day she didn't hope that she'd open the door and see her baby girl standing there ready to accept the help Frank had offered that night she'd left so many years ago. That dream never came true.

"No, I don't care what she does or doesn't know," Frank was firm on this. "And I'll tell MY son in MY own way. This is MY life, Denise! And MY DEATH!"

"You're MY HUSBAND!" Denise said losing her temper, it was rare but he was being selfish and stubborn. "And those are OUR children!"

"I only have one child," he replied, his voice so cold it sent chills through her. She knew that's the only way he was able to go on after that night, the fight had been ugly and Denise knew that Frank never expected Molly to choose life on the streets over taking her father's help with her problems, but she did do that, she was her father's daughter, stubborn to a fault. Denise held onto her husband while he sobbed in her arms so hard she was afraid he'd have a heart attack. He had made himself sick numerous times, the agony of that moment was more than he could bear. It was easier for him, Roland said when Denise reached out to him for help, to think of Molly as dead, to grieve for her, so he could move on. Denise had never been able to move on, she'd never lost faith their girl would see the light.

Denise was the one in tears now though, thinking of the day when Molly would come home to find her father had died and she'd not been able to set things right. "Frank please, don't leave without saying goodbye to your daughter. Please, don't do that to our little girl." She was practically begging now.

"You let me do this with Jeremy, on my own, in my own time, and I'll see her once," Frank offered. "And I'll choose if I see her again."

She nodded and wiped her eyes trying to stop the tears.

"When can I leave?" he asked. "I told the boy not to make a fuss over you. I'll tell him...soon."

"I don't know but I'm not leaving until you do." Denise never left him when he was sick, it was such a rare occurrence before the cancer that seeing him weakened even a little bit was unsettling for her.

"Find Tanya, ask her," he was falling asleep finally.

She nodded and kissed his cheek softly and went to find her doctor daughter-in-law.


	3. Chapter 3

Denise didn't have to look very far to find her Tanya; she was just outside the room, near her office sobbing.

She went to her and put her arm around Tanya, and to her surprise she turned and sobbed on Denise's shoulder. They'd liked each other always, and while Jeremy was in the Army and Tanya was home having their babies Frank and Denise both serves as her surrogate parents, Tanya often joked that her father-in-law played the husband role very well so there was still hope for Jeremy. Still as much as she loved Frank, Denise knew her tears came from heartbreak of another kind.

"This is not just about Frank, is it?" she asked holding her close. "What was happening out in the waiting room when I got here?"

"Nothing." She couldn't tell her, not right now.

"You know Frank and I consider you one of our babies, so you need to talk to either or us or need anything from either of us, you tell us," Denise was firm in this. "My husband on the other hand...told Jeremy I have cancer."

"He did what!"She asked shocked, her mouth wide open, she knew Frank was struggling with the idea of being so sick but she didn't think he'd go that far.

Denise nodded, "Yes, so my son now things I have a terminal illness. If he wasn't dying I'd have killed him."

Tanya laughed a little. "Do you remember what he told Jeremy that night you all found out I was pregnant with JJ, about you making him live in a hotel for three months because you were mad he'd made you fat?"

"He can be very...interesting at times," Denise laughed a little. "I remember when you went into labor with JJ and he left for the hospital without you."

Tanya laughed. "Yeah and I'm like 'Okay, what the hell? You're going to the hospital without the patient!'" The memory did make her smile.

"I was on duty that night when you called 911," Denise was laughing so hard her sides hurt.

Tanya was leaning on the wall laughing when Jeremy came and saw them. He didn't think anything about any of this was funny.

Still he smiled at his wife. "What's so funny?"

"We were remembering your Dad and my first labor," Tanya replied. "I'm sure he wants to know when he can go home, right?"

"Yeah," Denise replied.

"Not until his respiratory rates improve and that won't happen on the drugs he's on now," Tanya replied. "We can wean him off but..."

Denise sighed; it was hard not having Jeremy know the truth.

"Dad's going to be fine, he just needs rest, it's Mom I'm concerned about," Jeremy held his mother very lightly. "I'm not hurting you, am I?"

"No honey." Denise wanted to tell him the truth, but she had to respect Frank's wishes. Everything in her as a mother told her it was wrong to keep her children in the dark, but everything in her as a wife and as a nurse reminded her it was important to respect Frank's way of handling this, it was, as he said, his death and only he knew how he wanted and needed that to be.

He held her so gently, "Jeremy, you're mother isn't the one to worry about right now."

"She's the one with cancer," he said and Denise just shook her head.

"She's not symptomatic," Tanya fibbed. "He is."

"Can we go in and see him?"Jeremy asked

"He's asleep," Denise replied. "He needs his rest; you go on home to the kids. I'm going to call your sister and stay here with Dad."

"You need to rest mom," Jeremy said, hell-bent on insisting his mother come home. "Come on; let's get you home, you need sleep."

"I need to spend as much time with...with dad as I can." She was so angry she had to lie to her son.

Jeremy nodded he understood, a love like his parents had didn't happen to everyone.

When Denise went back to Frank Jeremy tried to talk to Tanya. "Honey, she's an old family friend. Her dad and mine are best friends."

"Whatever Jeremy," Tanya said shaking her head. "When this crisis is past we need…"

He cut her off. "I love you, I do, and I need you baby, I do."

"I love you too; it just hurts to see you turning to someone else." She wiped at her eyes, she hated crying, it showed weakness but she couldn't help it.

He held her, "We're losing ourselves baby. We're losing that special thing and...I do want it back, now Mom's sick and I thought my dad was going to die I know how important it is."

That's all it took Tanya started sobbing, she hated lying to her husband.

He rocked with her, "Tanya, do I know everything?"

She only nodded, she couldn't tell him; it wasn't her place.

He rocked her, "I love you."

"I love you too," she whispered and clung tightly to him, this was as close as they had been in a long time.

"Can you get off?" he asked. "I just want to hold my wife."

"Yeah, my shift was over an hour ago anyway." She pulled back and gave him a light kiss on his cheek.

"Check on them then let's go?" Jeremy wanted to feel for his wife what he knew his father felt for his mother, he wanted to heal this thing, he just didn't know if it could be fixed.

She nodded and they went to check on Denise and Frank.

"How is he, Tanya?" Denise asked. "He looks very sick like this."

"He is," she said honestly hating every minute of this for them.

"I know but...he didn't seem it until just now, how long? Did the tests come back?" Denise kissed his hand.

"Not yet," she said then observed a few more things in his chart from her earlier exam. "Maybe until Thanksgiving."

"I want him home as soon as he can," she told her. "You leaving? The kids are going to be pretty freaked. Both girls were crying when I left. JJ is quite the young man."

Tanya nodded. "Get some sleep." She gave Denise a hug and adjusted Frank's IV once more before leaving.

When Tanya and Jeremy got home they weren't surprised to see their oldest four waiting up. "Jeremy, tell them...Grandpa got too upset and needs to stay in the hospital, don't tell them anything else. Let your parents do that."

Jeremy nodded and they went inside, Lydia and Dakota both still crying on the sofa with their big brother sandwiched between them. JJ was holding both his sisters, "What if Grandpa dies?" Lydia sobbed.

"Ssh, he's not going to Sis, it's okay calm down," JJ tried to soothe but it wasn't helping.

Both parents walked in together and smiled at their son.

"Help," he mouth to both parents, his sisters were getting more and more upset no matter what he did.

"Grandpa's okay," Tanya said quickly to relieve some of the fear in the room. "He's okay, he'll be okay soon."

Both girls looked to see their parents at the door Lydia went to Jeremy and Dakota to Tanya, just as the girls preferred grandfather and grandmother respectively, the shared the same preference with their parents as well, Lydia being the Daddy's girl and Dakota Momma's angel.

They wrapped them up in their arms, "It's fine, it's fine," Tanya said over and over again. "You can visit him tomorrow okay?"

Both girls nodded Lydia was hysterical, she was always closer to her grandfather than Dakota but they both loved him.

"Grandpa is fine," Jeremy assured her. "He'll be okay in a few days."

She nodded and buried her face in her Daddy's chest clinging to him. When he was like this, sober and calm he made her feel safe, but when he wasn't…

Jeremy sighed, "Let's all sleep out here tonight, all of us."

Both girls and Tanya nodded; they needed to be close to each other.

"JJ, get some blankets and stuff," Tanya told him. "Sorry you were scared babies." This was going to kill her daughters when the truth came out no one would get out unscathed.

He nodded and went to get blankets and pillows and brought them back "Can I sleep in my room?"

"We'd like it if you stayed with us, but you don't have to," Jeremy said.

"JJ stay with me," Lydia begged, she and her brother were inseparable, if they were both home, they were together.

"Okay, Lyds," he agreed and got the stuff for them to sleep on.

They got all the blankets and pillows put down and all laid down to get some sleep.

Tanya's beeper went off at 8 AM; it was the hospital with Frank's tests. She got up and called them back.

"Okay, doc, it's bad," he colleague told her. "Both lungs totally infiltrated, METS to the ribs, pelvis, spine, legs, kidneys, you name it. He refused the drip this morning and he's signing himself out."

"He's what?" She knew he'd want to leave but they had to get his pain under control before that could happen and have him enjoy any kind of comfort.

"He's signed himself out, his wife fought him and lost," he replied. "On their way home now."

She sighed. "Okay, thanks." Frank was so stubborn, if only an iron will was a cure.

Tanya poked Jeremy, "They're on their way home"

"Really?" he asked "Already?"

"He signed himself out, we better get the bedroom ready, he's not going to be strong enough to stand for too long."

He nodded and they hurried to get the bed room ready, waking both the girls in the process.

They all started getting ready and Tanya was surprised when Frank was strong enough to walk to the house with a large smile on his face.

"Grandpa!" Both girls said and ran to him.

"Oh my girls," he smiled and held them both close. "It's all right, loves. No fear, hmm?"

"Too little too late for that Gramps," Lydia said for both girls, their eyes were still red and swollen from the night before.

He sighed, "I'm fine, you see? All better."

They smiled and clung to him tight.

"Okay girls, that's enough," Tanya said after awhile. "Grandpa needs rest."

Both girls nodded and backed off.

Denise and Frank both went to the bedroom then about lunch time Frank came out and called for his son.

"Yeah Dad?" Jeremy replied going right away to his father, he didn't want to put any more on either parent, he was going to clean up his act, he really was.

"You take your wife someplace nice, you two talk out whatever it is, got it?" He handed him his credit card. "Any restaurant you want."

"What?" he asked confused.

"Take your wife out, and fix your marriage," Frank told him. "Pick a restaurant, anyone, take her there and fix it. Now!"

"Okay, what about the kids?" Jeremy asked, Frank was generous with his money but never this generous.

"Your mother and I will watch them, be back sometime tonight." It was more like an order than a request.

Jeremy nodded and went to tell Tanya to get ready; he wouldn't dare defy his father in that mode.

They were gone a few hours when Dense cornered her husband, "Tell him the truth tonight, Frank, I mean it!"

"Denise I..."he said but she interrupted."No Frank, I hate lying to him and so does his wife. Please Frank, please tell him the truth."

"After I take a nap," he replied. "Love you."

She smiled. "I love you more."

He smiled, went to lie down and slept the rest of the day and into the night. Denise didn't disturb him, he didn't even move when she slid into bedside him.

Denise fell asleep snuggled against Frank's back with her arm around him and that's what he woke up to an hour later, she was sound asleep. He was aching, the pain was getting harder to handle. He slipped out of bed, kissed his wife, and went outside.

When Jeremy and Tanya pulled up he saw his dad around the back of the house. "Go inside, baby. I'm going to talk to Dad; this can't be easy on him."

She only nodded hoping Frank would take the time to talk to Jeremy, she felt him trying to reconnect with her and that wouldn't be complete with a lie between them. They kissed, the night out worked.

Jeremy went around the house and up to his father. "You okay Dad? Mom okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine," Frank assured him. He didn't want to do this.

"It's midnight and you are out here by yourself," Jeremy sighed. "I know it's hard on you, Mom being sick. But you aren't alone anymore okay?" Just as he finished this Frank took out the joint and lit it.

Jeremy was more than a little shocked. "Dad?" he asked.

He laughed a little, "Yep, you're old man is smoking weed. And, it's legal...That is the way of the damn world, you know, legal to smoke pot but you have to have cancer."

"What...but I thought." Jeremy was so stunned he couldn't form words.

"Nope," Frank sighed. "I'm sorry I lied, I...was scared to tell you the truth."

He sighed "How bad?"

"Bad," Frank replied. "Terminal."

Jeremy didn't know what to say, he was speechless.

"Look, it's going to be okay," Frank replied. "It is, and we'd like to stay. Stay until...for your Mom, she's not dealing with it well."

"That's fine, I want you to stay as long as you want," he said still shocked that his father, his strong, capable, sturdy father had a fatal illness. It was easier to believe it was his mother, she always seemed to be more fragile, she wasn't, she was strong as they come, but she looked frail at time, especially cradled in his father's arms.

Frank nodded, "Now that you know...I'm sorry I lied. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, but no more lies. Deal?" Jeremy offered Frank his hand on that.

Frank nodded, "Deal. Help an old man back to the house would you. You can decide when and...How to tell the kids. I'd like to wait until I...can't be up and all that, I still need to bust Brian for smoking pot

"Okay, Dad, whatever you say." Jeremy laughed and took his father's arm to help him back to the house. When they got inside Denise was sitting on the couch.

"What's wrong baby?" Frank asked her going to sit beside her on the couch. "You okay?" He slid his arm around her shoulders and let her cuddle up to him if she wanted. Jeremy watched his parents, after 50 years they were still so much in love. He didn't know if he still felt that way about his wife.

"I woke up and you were gone, I got worried." Her voice shaking, she knew the end was getting closer and she was terrified.

"Having a little talk with Jeremy, straightened a few things out," he replied. "I'm fine, I feel fine. Don't worry."

She nodded and cuddled close to him "Did you tell him?"She asked quietly incase Frank hadn't found it inside of him to tell their son the facts just yet.

"Yeah, he told me," Jeremy replied. "You're going to stay here, we'll all help, but Dad, you have to do something, you have to get treatment. Talk to Tanya, there's got to be something."

"No son, no treatment." He was firm on that from the beginning.

"Why?" Jeremy asked. "Why won't you at least try?"

"Because they won't cure me." Frank was as matter of fact about this as one could get.

"No, but you might get a remission, you might have more time." Jeremy did not want to let his father go.

"More time to do what?" Frank asked. "Be sick, be a burden on you and your mother. Endure all of this longer for the few good days it might get me, no." He had to choose his words extremely carefully, he was tired, the marijuana made him loose lipped and he couldn't tell anyone the whole truth.

"You're not a burden," Denise said rubbing his back, if he felt like he was, that would break her heart faster than losing him would. She'd care for him forever if it meant he'd be with her.

"That's right but I would be if I did the chemo again." It was out before he could stop it.

"Again?" she asked.

"Again what?" Maybe he could play dumb and blame it on the hour. "I'm just tired, ignore me."

"No, you said taking it again would make you a burden, what do you mean again?" she asked firmly.

"Three years ago," he admitted. "They found a small spot on the left lung during my yearly, I did a round of radiation and chemo pills and it seemed to work. Remember that summer, you kept trying to get me to go see the cardiologist and the gastrowhateverist and all that? Then." He knew he was going to get it sick or not.

Only Denise didn't get mad, she started sobbing hysterically, she'd been doing that a lot lately.

Frank sighed and gestured with his hand, "Exhibit A." He was next to surprise everyone; he got up and left the room.

Denise got up and went after him "Why?" she asked. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Jeremy followed them, "Mom, leave him be."

"No I want to know why the hell he didn't tell me!" She was angry, very angry and hurt that he'd lied to her, to her of all people.

"I think we both know the answer to that Denise," Frank sighed. "I didn't want to upset you, I didn't want a fuss, I had it under control and it worked for three years. Then it came back." He got into bed and lay down. "I don't want to discuss this." Jeremy took her by the shoulders, "Come on Mom, leave him be."

"Fine," she said and left the room, and went outside on the porch. If Frank could be alone and stew, what's good for the gander is good for the goose, she had a reason to be angry, she had a reason to go off alone, if only…if only she wasn't going to be alone, just like this and soon, for the rest of her life. Nothing Frank could do or had ever done would hurt more than that.


	4. Chapter 4

Jeremy followed her to try to get her to talk. "Talk to me, Mom," he pressed. He was tired but this couldn't be left as it was.

"There's nothing to talk about," she said covering her face with her hands. She was at the end of her rope.

"I think there is," he sat on the steps. "You're mad at him."

"No, I'm hurt," she corrected. "That's a big difference."

He nodded, "He wanted to protect us, that's why. You know how he feels about being seen as weak or as a burden and there's a reason I believed you were the one that was sick, Mom. Because you look it, you look tired and rundown, you do."

"I'm fine," she insisted. "If not tired."

Jeremy gave up and just hugged his mother close to him. "We're going to get through this. We are." He hugged her until Lydia interrupted them. "Dad, I don't think Grandpa feels good again." She was biting her lip.

This time, Denise got up and went to her husband. If he was sick or in pain she needed to be there, her own feeling be damned.

He was coughing pretty hard, she hadn't seen or heard it quite like this before. Dakota was up, so was JJ. He was hanging onto Dakota while Lydia held onto Jeremy.

Denise went and held his hand. "It's okay honey," she soothed. "I'm right here, just don't fight it."

After about ten minutes Tanya got up and went in there, "Do you want some medication?" she asked him. She knew how important it was that he be in control of his own fate.

He shook his head, speaking was out of the question.

She shook hers but waited it out until finally it stopped. "Better?" she asked. She tried to appear to be doing something for the sake of her children who didn't know the truth.

"Yeah," he replied still more or less gasping for air.

"Okay, lie back, I'll get you some extra pillows, that might make it easier." Tanya rubbed arm and touched her mother- in- law's hand. She got the pillows and shooed her kids to their room. She knew by the look on her husband's face, he knew the truth.

Lydia was attached to her father's side. Jeremy was trying not to show his emotions, "Is Grandpa still sick?" she asked her Mom. "Can you fix it?"

"No baby, we can't fix it," Tanya replied sadly. "We'll talk in a minute."

"Let's go in our room," Jeremy told his kids. "All of you."

They all nodded and went to their parents' room.

Jeremy sat on the bed along with Tanya and the kids. She took a deep breath, "Guys, Grandpa is sick. He has cancer; you know what that is right?"

Lydia and Dakota started to cry immediately, they knew exactly what that was. It killed people.

"Well he's going to do chemo and stuff right?" JJ asked. "I'll quit the band and help."

"No sweetie, he isn't," Tanya replied, she was choking up. She knew chemo may buy him time, but it cost him too.

Jeremy took over, "The truth is that Grandpa...Mom and I are going to help Grandpa and Gram as much as we can and help him feel as well as he can as long as he can. But, Grandpa's going to go to Heaven."

"No!"Lydia screamed. "Stop lying! He isn't going anywhere!"

Denise appeared in the doorway, Frank right behind her. He'd heard the tears and made her let him go. "They aren't lying, Angel." Frank told her. "They aren't."

"Yes they are!"She sobbed, he think little shoulders shaking so hard the thought she'd turn herself inside out.

"Why would they lie?" Denise asked her quietly. "Why would they want to lie to you about that?"

"To make me feel guilty," she sniffled looking at her father.

Frank sighed, "Everybody out. All of you, Denise, Jeremy, all of you but Lydia, out."

They all nodded and left the room, when he spoke they all listened.

Frank went to Lydia and sat down on the bed. "Guilty about what, Sweetie?" He pulled her onto his lap and held her; he was trying to show her that while he might be sick, he was still, for now, strong and there for her.

"For being a rotten daughter," she replied and sniffed back again.

"A rotten, honey, you're not a rotten daughter, why would you think that?" Frank asked. If his son did anything to make her feel that way he'd deal with him.

"I can't help Mom and Dad with their marriage or money problems, I can't do anything about any of it," she told him, confessing a feeling of responsibility far beyond her years.

"Mom and Dad have money problems?" Frank asked. "You know, you can do something. You can tell me and I might be able to help. Tell me what's wrong with their marriage and the money."

"Dad quit his job so Mom has to work extra hours to make ends meet and they fight constantly," she said. "He actually shoved her."

Frank was speechless, "Are you talking about his Army job or his architecture job?"

"Architecture, he was discharged from the Army," she told him wiping her face with the back of her hand. It stung.

"I know that," Frank sighed. "When did he shove Mom?"

"The night before you got here, he shoved her and cursed at me and Dakota," Lydia explained. If Grandpa wanted to know she'd tell him. It felt better out of her.

Frank nodded, "Has he ever...hit Mom or you kids?"

She sighed and looked at her lap; that was enough of an answer for Frank.

"Tell me about it," Frank was getting tired but she needed him. They all did.

"He drinks...a lot," she said. "And he gets mean."

"Has he touched you in a way that is...Where has he touched you that hurt?" Frank asked. He was getting sick to his stomach; he had to deal with his son, soon.

"Mostly my face." She pointed to her cheeks then her forearms. "And my arms."

"What about your legs or anywhere else?" Frank asked praying he was not going to find out his son hurt his daughters that way.

"No," she replied, shaking her head.

"Okay, listen to me, Lyds," Frank sighed and looked her right in the eye. "You are growing up, but you're not an adult and the things you told me are adult problems, baby. Do you want to help your Mom and Dad?"

She nodded vigorously.

"Then whenever you see Dad drink or when he gets mad and loses his temper with anyone you tell me right away, no matter what I'm doing, even if I'm asleep, you come and get me, promise?"

"Promise," she said finally beginning to calm down.

"That's my girl, Mom and Dad weren't lying about that other stuff, but Grandpa's got some work to do so I'm going to stick around awhile, I'm old but I'm tough." He kissed her cheek. "No more crying, go back to bed, it's after 2."

She nodded, she was falling asleep on his lap, she kissed his cheek. "I love you Grandpa."

"I love you too Lyds," he sighed. He stood with her in his arms and carried her to her bed. "Denise!"

Denise hurried to the bed room. "What?"

"Let's go to bed, I have a lot to do tomorrow," he looked at Lydia. "Very enlightening conversation."

"What about?" she asked.

"Jeremy, our boy's in trouble and I didn't see it, this is going to make it worse," he wrapped his arms around her. "Let's go to bed, I need sleep and then I need a plan."

She smiled and nodded "I love you."

"Let's get some sleep." He took her to their room. "I want you to take Tanya and the children out tomorrow, all of them unless I say different."

"Okay." Denise knew when Frank got like this to just nod and go along.

He lay down and pulled her close, only his body didn't relax at all, he remained very tense and on alert.

Denise rubbed his arms to help him relax "You okay?"

"Far from it, Dee," he sighed trying not to cry thinking of what Lydia told him. "Far from it."

"What's wrong?" She leaned up on her elbow.

"I don't want to talk about it right now," he was trying to hold the tears back.

"Frank, please, you're scaring me," she moved closer.

"Not right now," he said again. "Just, just come here...come here."

Denise snuggled close to him, she buried her face in his chest, she did this when she was frightened.

"I'm going to fight it Dee," he sighed.

"I know."

"No, I mean I want to do the chemo, all that...I think I'm going to try to fight it," he told her. He had to; he couldn't leave things like this.

Denise smiled brightly "Thank you."

"Try, I won't promise I'll stay on it," he clarified.

She nodded. "Fair enough," she said and held on to him tight "I love you so much Frank."

"Love you too, try and sleep," he kissed her hair. "Try to sleep."

She nodded and laid on his chest and closed her eyes

Denise fell asleep quickly, Frank didn't sleep at all.


	5. Chapter 5

He was up when he heard Tanya stirring and went to the kitchen. She had the baby in her arms, Frank reached for him. "I want to fight," he told her. "Set it up."

She smiled "Now that's the Frank I know, stubborn as hell and tough as nails," she said then he saw it, a small bruise on her cheekbone.

"No, not so much that as too many ladies shedding tears," he sighed. "How often does he hit you?"

"What?"She asked confused "Who?"

"Lydia told me," Frank sighed. "I'm going to handle it, okay?"

"No, "she said quickly.

"Yes," he sighed. "It's okay."

"I'm just sorry I didn't help you sooner."

"No, please, just leave it alone," she begged.

"I can't honey," Frank replied then thought again. "Okay, but if it happens again, I get into it."

She nodded. "Okay."

"Why don't you make some calls today and see if anyone will take on a new patient with end stage lung cancer and I will handle everything around here." He gave her a warm hug.

She nodded and hugged him tight. "I'll make the calls."

"Good." He handed her the baby and went to get back in bed before Denise woke up.

He got into bed and she stirred, "Frank," she mumbled half asleep.

"Right here, ssh," he rubbed her arm. "Go back to sleep. It's okay."

She nodded and snuggled up to him.

He let her fall back to sleep and somehow managed to drift off himself for a few hours until Denise woke up. "Hey, pretty girl," he said smiling. "Forget what I said last night about taking the kids out, I changed my mind."

"Why?" she asked still curious about his behavior.

"Remember when you asked me how I always won when we played Battleship and I'd say 'timing is everything"?" He asked. "Well, timing is everything. Just listen to me, do not ask me questions, just listen and do what I tell you, understand?"

She nodded; he spoke this way so rarely that she paid attention when he did.

"Do not leave Tanya, the girls, the baby, or yourself alone with Jeremy, make sure JJ or me is there. Brian not sure but unless you're in groups, do not spend time with Jeremy alone unless JJ or I are in the house."

She looked confused but nodded again.

"Good," he gave her a kiss and went to take a shower. He was wound tighter that a top. Denise went to the kitchen where Tanya was finished a phone call. "Thank you," she said with a huge smile. "You're doing the right thing. We'll be there, noon, you got it."

"What's going on?"she asked

"That was Henry Allen on the phone, Dr. Henry Allen, he's the best oncologist in state, probably the region and he just agreed to evaluate Frank today at noon," Tanya was beaming. She didn't try to hide the bruise.

"What happened to your face?"

"Oh, I hit myself with the phone at work," she lied. "Clumsy. But isn't this great!"

"Yeah," she said smiling. She didn't buy the phone story but she knew better than anyone that you had to be ready to ask for help.

"You can tell him, I have to get to work, but Jeremy can watch the kids," she hugged Denise. "I'll see you at noon."

She nodded and Tanya left for work.

Frank went to the doctor and was seen right on time, the news he received was anything but good "There's nothing we can do."

Frank sighed, "Nothing at all, I should have known and I should have tried before but...Is there anything I can do just to tell my wife and my granddaughters I'm doing something?" He'd insisted Denise and the girls stick together at home.

"I'm sorry sir, there's nothing." He shook his head sadly, he liked this man, he so wanted to be able to help.

"There's got to be something, a pill something so I don't have to tell them there's no hope, I know the truth, but...please...'"He was begging now. He never should have gotten her hopes up.

"We can give you a higher dose of chemo pills but that's all," the doctor replied. "It's effect with me more psychological than physiological, but…it won't hurt you."

"Hell as long as I can tell her there's something even if it doesn't help and I know it won't, just...Do not make me have to hurt her again, please." Tanya was sitting beside him crying. She thought Dr. Allen would be able to help.

The doctor nodded and wrote out the script for him.

They left with the prescription, "I know it won't do anything, Tanya. But it will make things easier at home. I'll wait up tonight until you go to bed."

She nodded as they drove home, when they pulled into the driveway Denise was on the steps, tears streaming down her face.

Frank got out of the car in a hurry and ran to his wife, "What happened?"

"It's...it's Molly, there's been an accident." Her face said it all.

He put his hand over his heart, "You scared me, Dee. I thought it was one of the children!"

"No, they're all fine."

"Thank God," Frank sighed. "What kind of accident?"

"Car accident, apparently she fell asleep at the wheel and hit a semi, she's in the hospital. They said she won't make it through the night unless some drastic happens. Closed head trauma."

"And you want to go," Frank sighed. "Okay, tell the girls to pack and get in the truck."

"No, I don't want them seeing her like that, Brooklyn is a mess. She was in the car with her when she fell asleep," Denise explained. "She's just a baby."

"They can't stay here and if you want me to go, they have to go too," Frank insisted.

"Fine, but we have to hurry," she said hoping this would heal the rift between father and daughter if only for a very short time.

Frank went right past his son and straight for the baby and began getting his bags ready.

"What are you doing?" Jeremy asked as he watched his father packing his children's belongings.

"Taking my grandchildren and my wife to the hospital to see your sister you crashed her car into a semi," Frank replied. "I'm not leaving these children here."

"They aren't going anywhere," he protested.

Denise appeared ready, "We're ready, let's go." Frank held Teddy, "You can stay or you can go with us, but these children are going with us."

"I'm not going," Dakota said from the door.

Frank looked at her, "Dressed like that, no you're not! Go change, and get in the truck!'

"No!"she said

Denise stepped in, "Dakota, do what Grandpa said now. I mean it, you get in your room, you change first your clothes and then your attitude, and get in the truck; I mean it!"

"You aren't my boss," she snapped. "Dad I'm not leaving."

"It's okay honey, you can stay here," Jeremy replied glaring at his father.

JJ stepped out of his room, "Grandpa, I'll stay here, it's cool."

"I'm staying too," Jeremy said.

"Okay, fine," frank nodded. "The baby and Lydia will go with us." Lydia always wanted to be with her grandpa.

"I'm keeping the baby, Lydia can go if he wants," he said and took baby from Frank's arms.

"This is for your Mom, Jeremy," Frank sighed. "Molly's not going to make it; I want her to have this little one to love." It was half true.

"No," he said.

"Fine," Frank sighed. "Denise!"

Denise came out with her suitcase "Okay, let's go!"

Frank took her bag and Lydia's and they got in the truck. As they pulled back Lydia told Frank, "He doesn't hit the baby Grandpa."

"Who?" Denise asked.

"Uh oh," Lydia blushed and turned red.

"Who hits who Frank?" Denise asked. "Jeremy hit Tanya, didn't he?"

"Yes," Frank replied. "And Lydia, and Dakota as well. That's why I told you not to leave the girls alone with him."

Denise was fuming. "I'll kill him, son or not, hitting his own kids." She was ashamed.

"Grandpa said he'd fix it," Lydia replied.

"Frank you are in no shape to argue with him, I'll handle it," she said.

"He's hitting women a gain Dee, no!"Frank snapped "I'm his father, it's my fault!'

"No it isn't," she said "It's his!"

"I'm handling this Denise, I got medicine today anyway," Frank sighed. Where am I going?

"Charleston Medical Center," she quietly, all this time her baby had lived in Charleston and she didn't know it.

He hit the gas a little harder and they got there within a couple of hours.

They got to the hospital and Denise rushed inside, they were told where she was but only one person could go in at a time.

She waited for Frank and Lydia to get there; he wasn't as fast as he used to be. "Go ahead, Dee. Where's the prince?"

"Frank, don't start," Denise warned.

"Better than what I used to call him," Frank sighed. "Let me go first, okay?"

She nodded, "Go ahead."

Frank took a deep breath and went into the room. Lydia asked, "Why doesn't grandpa talk to Aunt Molly anymore?"

"They had some issues a long time ago and he hasn't been able to let them go," Denise replied. No need to inform their granddaughter of her aunt's drug use.

"He always forgives me when I do something wrong," she sighed. "Gram, is he really going to go to heaven? Or were Mom and dad wrong?"

"No baby, they weren't wrong."

She didn't cry she just hugged her grandmother while Frank saw his daughter. "Molly," he said sitting on her bed. "Daddy's here."

Molly was hooked to several machines and monitors and wasn't breathing on her own, it made him sick and angry, mostly at himself.

"I'm here, I'm here and Mommy's outside and everything's going to be just fine my baby," he choked up. He loved her so much and so much of that was wasted.

To his surprise she squeezed his hand.

He smiled, "You hear Daddy, don't you?" He squeezed back and waited to see what she'd do.

It took a few minutes but she squeezed his hand again, only this time it was harder. Finally she tried to breathe on her own, she choked because of the tube in her neck.

Frank put her hand down and went for Denise, "Dee, we need a doctor now!"

Denise hurried and got a doctor and they went to Molly, everyone was surprised that she was awake.

Frank stayed out with Denise and waited until the doctor was finished with Molly. He came out, "Mr. and Mrs. Wilson?"

"Sherwood, we're her parents. How is my daughter?" Denise asked.

"She's doing better, we don't know the extent of damage to the brain, but she's awake, breathing, talking, and asked about her baby?"

"Can we see her?"she asked.

"Sure, ten minutes only. Where has her husband run off to?" the doctor asked. "I need to fill him in."

"We aren't sure" Denise said "I'll fill him in when he gets here"

The doctor nodded and let the three go inside. Lydia held onto Frank.

Molly took one look at Frank, started to cry, and reached her arms for him like she'd do when she was little and had a bad dream.

He was struggling not to cry himself; he passed Lydia to Denise and sat on the bed with Molly, holding her gently. He played with the end of her hair, "Don't cry. Don't cry, ssh."

"I'm so sorry Daddy," she sobbed.

"I know, ssh," Frank consoled her as best he could. "Ssh, I know, it's okay. It's okay, I'm sorry too, baby. Ssh, it's okay."

It took a while but she calmed down "I missed you."

"I missed you. What happened?" Frank pulled back. "I bet you don't know that grown up lady there do you?"

"Hey Lydia," she said smiling. Tanya had kept in touch.

"Hey, you gave all of us a pretty good scare."

Molly gasped then, "Where' Brooklyn? Daddy, where is she?"

Denise was crying, she'd prayed for this moment.

"She's fine sweetie, she's with her Daddy," Frank soothed not that he felt particularly wonderful about his grandchild being off with his son-in-law.

"I want to see her, you have to meet her Daddy, she's so beautiful; she looks like Mom." Frank started to cough just then that wheezing cough he'd developed the last few weeks.

"Daddy, you okay?"she asked.

He couldn't talk to her or get his breath, Denise just stepped over and rubbed his back, "Don't tense, I know it's sore but don't tense."

He loosened up and she rubbed his back until he stopped coughing.

"I'm fine, Molly," Frank told her. "Getting over being sick." He glared at Lydia and Denise telling them this wasn't the right time.

She nodded and no one told her any different, they didn't need to do, she knew in her heart.

Not a minute later Molly's husband returned to her room, "Bi*ch!" he snapped once he saw she was awake.

"Patrick," she begger. "Please don't be mad, I'm sorry"

"Molly, be quiet," Frank told her. "Let's go." He got Patrick by the arm.

Frank took Patrick out of the room; Molly didn't need to be upset right now.

"Let go of me old man!" he tried to shove Frank off of him.

Frank gripped tighter, "You listen to me you little punk, nobody and I mean nobody talks to my daughter that way!"

"What about how you talked to her?" he sake pushing him.

"That was different," he defended.

"Calling your own daughter whore was different!" he pushed him again; he'd had enough of Frank being his task master.

Frank had enough, he grabbed him by the shirt and threw him, he was old and sick but was still strong.

The two men went a round or two before the security officers came, Molly called from inside her room. Frank who did take one punch in the cheek asked, "Where' the baby?"

"My mom's," he said.

"Molly wants to see her," Frank told him.

"I'll go get her," he said, he never wanted the brat anyway.

"I'll go with you," Frank replied. He didn't trust him.

"No stay here with her," he said. "Kid's nothing but a hassle."

"When can I tell her to expect her baby back?" Frank asked. He was getting very tired.

"Half hour."

Frank accepted that and went back to his baby's bedside. She was nodding off; Frank couldn't help but smile when he saw Lydia curled up next to her, also asleep.

"Dee," he sighed and reached for her

"You okay?"

"Tired," he wrapped his arms around her. "Really tired."

"Let's go get a hotel," she said "We'll come back in the morning."

"No, that no good dead beat she married is bring the little one back and I want to get my daughter and her daughter and go home."

She nodded. She wanted that too. "It'll probably be a few days before she is released."

"I know." The coughing started again, no sleep and the stress of what's happened around him was weighing on him. "What are we going to do Denise? How can I fix this, all of this? I need it to be fix, the kids, and their kids all of it has to be right."

"We'll fix it, together," she said, a promise.

He nodded, "I'm going to grab a seat, and then I get to meet my granddaughter."

Denise smiled. "Me too."

Half hour on the dot Patrick walked into the hospital carrying a little girl, she was small with dark brown curls and big blue eyes.

Denise was awake and shook Frank, "Oh, she's beautiful." She went to take the little girl.

"Nana!"the little girl squealed like she had known Denise her entire life. Molly had kept her mother's memory and her father's as well, but not in the same way.

Denise smiled and held her close to her, "Oh, pretty girl." She pointed at Frank. "Do you know his name?"

"Jerk!"Brooklyn blurted out.

Denise laughed, "Sometimes he is, but you call him Grandpa okay?" Denise put her down on the floor.

Brooklyn saw Frank looking at her and clung to Denise's leg.

Frank got up and moved closer, then knelt on the floor. "What's your name?' he asked gently.

"Brooklyn Aleigha," she said shyly.

"That's a very pretty name," Frank smiled. "Who's that on your shirt?"

"Tinkerbelle," she said loosening her hold on Denise's leg. "She's a fairy."

"Really? What makes her a fairy?" he asked her, once he retired he'd worked as a family advocate, he was always able to get through to children.

"She has wings," she said pointing to the wings.

"She's very pretty," Frank replied. "So are you? Did you get boo boos today?"

"Yeah." she said showing him the cuts on her arms and legs.

"Can I kiss it and make it better?" Frank asked.

She smiled and nodded.

He gave her a couple little kisses the tickled her belly. It was then they noticed Patrick was gone.

"Daddy?" Brooklyn said looking around.

"I don't know Sweetie, how about we go over here and you sit on my lap and wait for Mommy to wake up from her nap," Frank told her. "Nana will go look Daddy. Grandpa is sleepy."

She nodded. "Me too, Daddy woke me up."

"I know, Mommy wanted to see her baby, that's all. Sit down on my lap here we go," Frank said. "That's..." The coughing started again.

Brooklyn got scared and started whimpering.

Lydia got up when she heard that sound and did what she saw her Grandma do, "Grandpa's got a cold," she told the little girl. "Don't be scared."

The little girl got off of Frank's lap and went and sat in the corner of the room.

"Grandpa," Lydia was trying to help him. "You need Gram?" She was getting scared too.

He only nodded; he was coughing too hard to talk.

She ran outside, "Gram!" Denise was only on her phone a few feet away. "Gram!"

Denise hurried to her granddaughter. "What's wrong sweetheart?"

"Grandpa, he's coughing, and he can't breathe," she told her. "The little girl is scared."

Denise nodded and hurried back into the hospital.

Lydia followed and sat with Brooklyn on the floor and started playing "I Spy" to distract her. Denise tried to help Frank for about ten minutes until he relaxed. "You need to go home, honey," she told him. "You need Tanya to put you on oxygen.

"I'm fine, we can't leave Molly and Brooklyn" he said

"Dad?" Molly shifted in her bed. "No, Frank, don't move. Stay still, get your breath."

"I'm okay," he said and took a deep breath and went to Molly.

"My baby?" she asked. "Where's my baby?"

"She's with Lydia, you want her?"she asked.

She nodded and reached out, "Don't let him have my baby."

"Who sweetheart?"he asked.

"Patrick, don't let him take her," she begged starting to cry. "Please."

"Okay princess, ssh, won't let him take her," he crooned just like she was still tiny.

Denise got Brooklyn to come to her Mommy, "Here she is. She's so pretty."

Molly smiled, "She looks just like you Mom."

"Has your eyes and Daddy's eyes," Denise smiled. "Guess who I just talked with on the phone?"

"Who?"she asked

"Jeremy," Denise replied. "I asked if you and your family could stay there with us and he said yes so if you want you can come back with Daddy and me. We're staying there until Daddy's better." Denise was tired and slipped.

"Better?"she asked

"Daddy's been sick but he's getting treatment now and he'll be better," Denise replied. "Tanya is going to help and he'll be better soon."

"It's cancer...isn't it?"she asked. He father looked like so many people she'd seen on TV or in magazines dying of the dreaded cancer.

Denise nodded, "Yeah, but he'll be better soon."

Molly nodded And I'll help take care of him until he is."

"No one is taking care of me but me," Frank said. "I'm sick, but I'll be okay, I have things I need to do. One is finding a doctor to see when I can take my girls home."

Molly smiled, "You're stubborn."

"So are you, that's why we butt heads," he replied. He left and felt a little thud against his leg.

He looked Down and Brooklyn was attached to him.

He picked her up and left with her and returned a short while later. "They'll let you go home in a few days since Tanya is a doctor but you have to get your rest okay? If you don't mind Dee, I'll stay with Molly and you can the girls can get a hotel."

"Are you sure?"she asked, she didn't want to leave him.

"I'm sure," he smiled. "Go on, they are both tired, you're tired. Go."

"I'm not tired," she lied but Fran knew better.

"Go, I'm fine," he kissed her nose and pushed her out the door with a kiss and a smile.


End file.
